IUP ROUNDUP: Softball team reaches final day of PSAC tournament

Senior slugger Jasa Mitchell hit three of IUP’s six home runs on the day, and the Crimson Hawks advanced to the final day of the PSAC softball postseason tournament with a pair of wins Friday.

IUP beat Bloomsburg, 9-0, in five innings in the early game before knocking off West Chester in the nightcap, 7-5, on Mitchell’s game-ending three-run homer.

West Chester struck first in the second game, taking a 2-0 lead in the fourth and stretching it 5-1 with three runs in the top of the sixth.

Allison Viguers responded for IUP with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to bring the Crimson Hawks within 5-3.

Then, in the seventh, IUP got a two-out RBI single from Christi Mauk to pull within 5-4 before Mitchell ended the game with her three-run homer, her 14th of the season.

IUP starter Alexa Campbell gave up six hits and two runs in 4 2-3 innings before giving way to Amanda Spindler, who earned the win to improve to 12-3 despite giving up three runs in 2 1-3 innings of relief.

Mitchell finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Viguers also had three RBIs.

In the early game, IUP got four home runs in a mercy-rule win over Bloomsburg.

Hannah Mercer hit a three-run homer and Mitchell added a two-run shot in IUP’s five-run second inning as the Crimson Hawks took a 6-0 lead. Mitchell hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Viguers added a two-run homer to round out IUP’s scoring.

Mitchell went 3-for-3, and Mercer, Stefanie McCoy and Angela Devereaux went 2-for-3 each.

Campbell earned the win, giving up three hits and no runs in five innings.

After losing its first game of the double-elimination tournament, IUP has won three straight.

IUP (32-14) plays California today in an elimination game. The winner takes on Shippensburg for the PSAC title.

LACROSSE: Seeking its first appearance in the PSAC championship game, IUP lost to Mercyhurst, 13-7, in the PSAC semifinals at Lock Haven on Friday. The Crimson Hawks lost in the conference semifinals for the second straight year.

After falling behind 2-0 in the early going, Mercyhurst scored seven straight goals to take a 7-2 lead with 20:42 to play. IUP scored four of the next five goals to get within 8-6 with 15 minutes to play, but the Lakers outscored IUP 5-1 the rest of the way.

Hayden finished the season with 63 goals, a new school record. Amy Weinberg finished with a school single-season record 53 assists.

IUP ended the season 13-5, matching the school record for single-season wins.

TRACK AND FIELD: Samantha Thompson and Joe Lynch won individual titles to highlight IUP’s showing on the second day of the PSAC Championships on Friday.

Thompson earned her first career PSAC title in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:47.63, a new personal best and an NCAA provisional time.

Also on the women’s side, Marina Wareham finished fourth in the 800 in 2:16.13. Krista Matsko advanced to today’s finals in the 400- and 100-meter hurdles.

Lynch also grabbed his first career conference championship as he took home the title in the 800 with a time of 1:53.48.

Troy Zangaro moved on to today’s finals in the 400 with a time of 48.66 in the prelims, and Jonathan Stiles advanced to the finals of the 400 hurdles. Also, the men’s 400 relay team advanced to today’s finals.

After two days of the three-day meet, the IUP women sit in eighth place and the men are ninth.